Page 50 of Rookie Moves

“I thought we could head to Newburyport,” I suggest, connecting my phone. “It’s only about thirty minutes, and we’ll be back before class.”

“Sounds good,” he says from the passenger seat. “I haven’t been there for years.”

I glance over at him before focusing back on the road as I pull away from the curb. “You grew up in Maine, right?”

He nods. “Yeah. My dad’s friend had a boat there, and in the summer, we’d come down for the weekend and spend a day out on the water.”

“I bet that was nice. I used to spend time out on the lakes with Piper during the summer if we weren’t at camp.”

“Yeah, it was. I didn’t think so at the time, because it was dragging me away from playing hockey, but I always ended up enjoying myself. And looking back, I think it was probably good for me to take a break away from the rink.”

“It’s hard to tear yourself away when hockey is your sole interest.”

“It is. Even now, sometimes I have to force myself to study or do something else instead of watching tape when I’m in my room. I know my grades don’t really matter, but I came here for the experience, so I want to make the most of it.”

I tug the corner of my lip between my teeth, thinking through my next words.

“I think it’s really admirable what you’ve done.”

“What do you mean?”

“Picking to spend a year in college instead of heading straight for the draft. I didn’t used to understand it before. Like, I knew the draft was never going to be an option for me, so I couldn’t understand why someone who was guaranteed to be a first-round pick would pass on the opportunity for a year.” I glance over at him quickly and add, “But now I do, and I genuinely think this is going to make you so much stronger, Colbs. Not just as a player, but as a person. Whoever picks you is going to be so fucking lucky to have you in their organization.”

I catch Colby’s throat bob as he swallows before focusing back on the road. From the corner of my eye, I see his head dip.

“Thank you,” he says, barely above a whisper. “It means a lot that you get it.”

Reaching over, I place my hand on his knee and give it a squeeze. “Just don’t forget about me, alright?” I tease, flashing a broad grin at him. “Maybe every time you eat a banana, you’ll be reminded of the time you hooked up with your teammate in college.”

“Fuck you,” he laughs, batting my hand away from his knee. “I should never have told you about that.”

Laughing, I return my hand to the steering wheel. “I wish I had seen that.”

He doesn’t say anything, but he’s smiling widely as he shakes his head at me.

When we arrive in Newburyport, I find a parking space and lead Colby to the diner I’ve been to a couple of times. We find a quiet booth toward the back, and I take the side that faces the rest of the diner. We place our order, and once the waitress has brought our drinks over, I rest my forearms on the table and lower my voice.

“So…” I start. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?”

The tips of Colby’s ears turn pink, lips tipping in a small smile. “Yeah, I did.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t, like… return the favor.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

I quickly glance around the diner, double-checking we’re still alone before returning my gaze to Colby, who’s still watching me intently. “I’m not a selfish lover, Colbs, and it didn’t click until this morning that you didn’t come.”

Colby looks over his shoulder, but I know nobody has heard us or is even paying us any attention.

“It’s fine,” he says, eyes casting downward.

“No, it’s not. This whole thing is supposed to be about you, and you didn’t get anything out of it.”

“But I did,” he counters, picking up his coffee and taking a sip. Then he shocks me when he smirks over the edge of his mug. “I got to suck your dick and have you come down my throat.”

Eyes widening, my jaw drops, and I whisper, “Colby McKay, you did not just say that out loud.”

He snickers into his mug. “Pretty sure I did, and pretty sure I loved every second of it last night.” He places his cup down on the table and mirrors my position, leaning his arms on the table. He holds my stare while he adds, “So no, while I didn’t come, I did have a fucking great time. So stop feeling bad about it ’cause I don’t.”